(Image Source: Hape Image) Hape News Miami Awards of "Master Workbench" Master Workbench Redesign Wins 2013 NETS Gold Star Awards A few changes to the Master Carpenter Workbench – the addition of colorful gears, an adjustable height counter for growing youngsters and redesigned nuts & bolts and screws plus, a new name - has earned some incredible international recognition. The Neighborhood Toy Stores of Canada (NETS) [1] has recognized Master Workbench with a 2013 Gold Star Award [2] in the Preschool category. The NETS annual list of Gold Star Award winners is based on products recognized by its retail members as providing ‘exceptional’ play value for their customers. As such, these products are extensively promoted during the upcoming holiday season and receive widespread media coverage and in-store recognition. NETS Gold Star Award for 2013 was awarded to 12 toys in different catalogues, and the Master Carpenter Workbench is honored to be one of them. [1]NETS: A Canadian network of specialty toy retailers and their suppliers working together to provide a superior source for toys within our communities. [2]NETS Gold Star Awards: Recognize toys and games that offer ‘exceptional’ play value and durability. The products themselves have demonstrated that they can stand up to both the test of time and the challenge of repeated use. Master Workbench Wins Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval Good Housekeeping [3] has recognized the Master Workbench with their highly sought after award. Good Housekeeping Research Institute (GHRI) [4] relies on both laboratory testing and consumer feedback for evaluations — in this case they brought in kids to actually play with the toys as part of the process. Having a product perform to the level to be featured as part of a Good Housekeeping test goes well beyond a reader survey or Editor’s “pick”, and consumers know this. As a result, Good Housekeeping recommendations carry a lot of weight and influence for buyers when making purchasing decisions. So! We are anticipating a lot of interest in the Master Workbench for holiday gifts this year! [3]Good Housekeeping: A popular lifestyle magazine founded in 1885 with a subscriber base of 4.5 million. [4]In 1990, "Experiment Station", the predecessor to the Good Housekeeping Research Institute (GHRI), was founded. Las Vegas Hape Hits the Jackpot in Las Vegas Show Orlando All Season Dollhouse Featured as a Safe, High Quality Toy by TIA For the second year, the Toy Industry Association (TIA) hosted a booth at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference and Exhibition, which took place in Orlando, Florida from 26th to 28th October. TIA representatives spoke with pediatricians and other children’s health professionals to deliver information on the safety of toys sold in the U.S. and offer TIA’s toy safety resources to medical staff, patients and their families. TIA vice president of standards and regulatory affairs, Ms. Joan Lawrence reported the AAP conference is the largest pediatrics-focused medical education event and exhibition in the world with 13,000 medical experts in attendance. The environment-friendly materials and excellent productions of Hape toys have earned incredible recognition of TIA. Furthermore, Hape’s “All Season Dollhouse” was featured as a perfect example of a high quality, safe toy and recommended to the medical experts during the Fair. The largest American maternity and juvenile products trade show, ABC Kids Expo, took place from 15 th to18th October at the Las Vegas Convention Center in North America. It is the premier juvenile products specialty show in the world with around 1,100 exhibitors in nearly one million square feet of exhibit space. The 2013 total attendance climbed to around fourteen thousand, significantly higher than the previous year. For Hape, traffic was brisk from open to close every single day, and records were broken for number of orders, new retailers and total sales. Visitors appreciated Hape’s product mix, bright colors and modern product. Numerous purchasers considered Hape toys fixture programs, and one retailer admitted that she spent 80% of her toy buying allowance with Hape. (Image Source: Shutterstock, Hape Image) 6